Stay with Me
by PinkElephant42
Summary: Katie deals with friends, love, and Quidditch. This story will have 9 short parts. KatieOliver.
1. 1: Challenge

Discalimer: Katie and her world belongs to JK Rowling. 

A/N: This story will have 9 short parts. It is for my 7spells challenge.

**1: Challenge**

"Ready?" Angelina gripped her broom and looked at each of us in turn.

"Yeah," Alica said, with a determined, steady gaze.

"To kick your arse," I said, smiling to let her know I was kidding. Mostly.

"Ok, remember, first one to touch the middle goalpost wins," Angelina said. "Go!"

We took off simultaneously, speeding across the Hogwarts grounds as three red-and-gold streaks. The goalposts loomed in the distance, and we looped and weaved around each other, each of us trying to gain the upper hand. We may be best friends, but we're also naturally competitive.

There was a loud smack as Alicia zipped through the goalpost, indicating that she won. Angelina and I were just milliseconds behind her. We slowed, and circled the pitch, laughing.

"What's so funny?" Oliver called to us.

Nothing was funny, exactly. We were all just thrilled by the race. There's something amazing about flying like that. It's one of my favorite things about being a witch.

We landed beside Oliver, the twins, and Harry. Oliver gave us a warm, indulgent smile. Fred and George were busy whispering behind his back, probably plotting some trick against either the Slytherins or one of their brothers. Harry looked kind of distant, but with all the Sirius Black stuff going on this year, who could blame him?

Oliver began practice by reminding us that we had only one week until the final Quidditch game of the season; that we just _had_ to win because it was his last year at Hogwarts; and that we needed to win by at least fifty points in order to get the House Cup. It was a speech we had all heard countless times during the year, and for the most part, we turned it out.

Fred and George seemed to be having a conversation in that silent-twin-language they have, probably plotting Oliver's untimely demise. Alicia was staring absently into space, probably daydreaming. Harry appeared somewhat interested in Oliver's speech, and nodded a lot, but I don't think his concentration was fully there. I took to analyzing the patterns on the walls around the stadium.

Angelina, however, was paying acute attention, like she always does. She has a talent for being able to focus on things that bore the living hell out of the rest of us, including Oliver's speeches, and History of Magic class. She is very intelligent, and very diligent; and she's one of the top students in her class. I suppose there's something to be said for paying attention and keeping notes; two things I am notoriously horrible at.

Eventually, mercifully, Oliver finished, and we began the usual drills. Once we were warmed up, we began practicing plays, some new and some old.

Mostly, we have fun with the plays, but as the final match loomed ever closer, it seemed Oliver was losing his grip on reality. He had been driving us harder than usual all month, and we were all becoming increasingly frustrated. His plays moved from difficult to nearly impossible, and the rest of his life seemed to pale in importance to him when compared to the effort and care he put into 'his' Quidditch team.

But no matter how much we complained to our captain about the difficulty, trying to convince him that non-professional teams didn't need to go through this hell, he was adamant. He gave us that charming smile, and told us he had confidence that we could handle it. Then, every time we missed a pass or a goal, he yelled at us in that unique way he has that's almost insulting, yet somehow encouraging.

We love him anyway, for the stupid, obsessed geek that he is.

All in all, practice was exhausting. We trudged back to Gryffindor tower in various states of sleepiness and irritation, parting in the common room for our separate dorms.

I kicked off my shoes and entered quietly, expecting all of my roommates to be asleep. Leanne was still awake, reading in the dim candlelight. She nodded a silent 'welcome back' to me before I collapsed onto my comfortable, inviting bed. I fell asleep without even taking off my robes.


	2. 2: Observation

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Thank you to my beta, HPalto87, and thank you to my reviewers!

**2: Observation**

Like every Sunday, the Gryffidor common room was crammed with students trying to get the work done that they had utterly failed to do on Friday or Saturday. As usual, this included Alicia and me, and excluded Angelina.

Angelina sat in one of the big, gaudy, comfortable chairs and smiled in a self-satisfied sort of way, knowing that academically, she was more intelligent than anyone in that room, with the possible exception of Hermione Granger.

I knew this irked her because any time Hermione's name was mentioned, her right eye would twitch slightly; and any time the younger girl got excited over solving some sort of problem (which had been happening more and more frequently over the past year) she would give a disapproving look at the outburst, then pointedly ignore whatever she was going on about (which usually no one understood anyway, except for Harry and Ron Weasley).

So today, like every Sunday, Alicia and I sat on the floor with our books spread across one of the low coffee tables; and Angelina sat nearby in one of the considerably more comfortable chairs, legs tucked comfortably under her, reading and occasionally joining in our conversation or, more rarely, helping us.

"I don't understand plants," I announced.

"We know," Angelina said in an amused voice.

"Well, can you help me then, oh, all-knowing Angelina?" I mocked. Herbology always gets me quite testy. It seems like all the plants I touch die. I always miss something vital, and end up having to write an essay on it.

Angelina leaned over my shoulder to read my report on magical plants that grow in moonlight.

"You need mooncalf dung. Dragon fertilizer won't do much for nocturnal plants. Mooncalf dung is much harder to get, but it will actually help any plant grow better; and if you don't use it for the nocturnal plants, you'll end up with a withered stalk, at best," she informed me.

"Thanks," I said glumly, and crossed that portion of the essay out.

I sighed heavily and laid my head on the table, hoping futilely that the essay would write itself.

"So, when are you going to get with Oliver?" Alicia asked me, suddenly changing the topic of conversation from potions.

I sat up a bit too quickly and hit my head on Angelina's knee. I was suddenly torn between being in absolute shock over Alicia's statement, and being offended at the pain in my head. I compensated by both rubbing my head with my fingers and staring wide-eyed at Alicia.

Once the pain subsided and I was done being shocked, I managed to form a reasonably intelligent answer. "Oliver doesn't even like me in that way."

Alicia rolled her eyes. "How dense can you be, Katie?" she asked. "Didn't you see the way he smiled at you yesterday?"

"He didn't smile at _me,_ he smiled at _us_," I insisted; but as I looked at my friends' incredulous faces, my resolve weakened.

Angelina lowered her book and gave me an irritated expression. "Every time Oliver smiles as us, or compliments his chasers, he is actually complimenting _you_," she informed me.

I shook my head. I can be really stubborn when I want to be; and I was convinced that Oliver Wood could _not_ be in love with me. Even if he were, it wouldn't matter because in two months it would be summer, and Oliver would be leaving Hogwarts to go have exciting adventures in the world of professional Quidditch.

When I pointed this out to my friends, Alicia sighed dreamily. "Think of it as a forbidden love affair," she said. "Two lovers, both alike in dignity-"

"-Sort of," Angelina snickered. "I never quite associated either of them with dignity."

Alicia gave her a pointed look and continued. "-In fair Hogwarts, where we lay our scene. From ancient stubbornness to new mutiny, where civil grudges make otherwise civil Quidditch games unclean. From forth the fatal- err… well, you know, star-crossed and all that."

Angelina and I dissolved into giggles. Alicia is a hopeless romantic, and spends far too much time reading Muggle romance novels and plays. She is kind, loving, and generally cheerful, if a bit dreamy sometimes. She is cute and popular, with a wide circle of friends.

Eventually we composed ourselves enough to continue with our work, and Angelina even helped us a bit.


	3. 3: The Game

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Thank you to my beta, HPalto87, and thank you to my reviewers!

**3: The Game **

Oliver had ordered the Quidditch team to go to bed hours ago, but as usual, Angelina, Alicia and I couldn't sleep. Instead, we gathered in the fifth year girls' dorm and tried not to let the stress get to us. We failed utterly.

"…And rumor has it that Jordan Lee is lusting after that little Slytherin brat, Pansy Parkinson. Oh, did I tell you what Patricia told me? She said that Cedric Diggory is after Cho Chang! Imagine, two seekers! That would make for an interesting Quidditch match. Oh, the match tomorrow! I can't bear the suspense, can you?" Alicia looked expectantly at Angelina and me, then continued rambling when she got little response.

Despite the fact that I had been a chaser for almost three years, Quidditch matches still made me nervous. Even though Oliver had declared the team 'ready to take on the Slytherins' earlier in the day, I spent the night before the game feeling sick to my stomach. I could tell Angelina and Alicia were nervous too, but I was probably handling it the worst.

Angelina sat on her bed, a book in her lap, staring into space. She had a stoic expression, and only answered half of the comments Alicia and I directed her way.

Alicia dealt with stress by talking and pacing. She babbled on about inconsequential things, gossiping, and laughing in inappropriate places. She could hold an entire conversation by herself, all the while pacing in a way that would make any normal girl dizzy.

I lay slumped on the bed next to Angelina, clutching my turning stomach, and whining semi-coherently about evil Quidditch captains and elusive House Cups. I wondered out loud if it was all worth it, but of course the answer was yes. I knew that once I got onto the pitch, I'd get lost in the game. Matches always bring an amazing thrill that far outweighs the pressure and nerves.

Every so often, Alicia would ask a random question and look expectantly at Angelina and me. I would simply agree with her, and Angelina would either blink uncomprehendingly or give a non-committal answer.

I'm not sure how long this went on before Angelina ended it, but it seemed like ages. I wondered how Alicia still had a voice. If I had been talking as long and fast as she was, I would have lost mine hours (years, decades) ago.

"And Kenneth Towler dumped Marietta. Honestly, I think he's gay. He's been making eyes at Warrington for ages now. Oh, and have you seen Percy Weasley and Penelope Clearwater? It's so sickeningly sweet, it's pathetic. And-"

"Alicia!" Angelina finally seemed to snap out of whatever sort of trance she had been in.

"What do you think?" Alicia asked hopefully.

"I don't care," Angelina said.

Alicia pouted indignantly and slumped onto the bed next to me, where we spent much of the rest of the night wallowing in (blessedly quiet) misery.

That was often how the nights before Quidditch games went for us. I wondered if the boys handled the stress any better.

---

The final game came and went in a blur. The Slytherins play rough, but we were prepared for them. Even so, I don't think I've ever been in a game with more penalties than that one.

I got hit by bludgers twice, but managed to stay on my broom and play well anyway. Poor Oliver was attacked by the Slytherin beaters, Alica, Angelina, and I were ganged up on, and Harry had his own problems trying to fend off Malfoy. The twins were having trouble keeping up with it all, but somehow still managed to fend off an incredible number of Bludger-attacks.

Through it all, we somehow made Oliver's ridiculous plays work, and I even managed to score three of the eight goals for Gryffindor.

Angelina was the first to score, but just barely. A moment later and Marcus Flint would have messed it up completely. He flew strait into her, claiming he couldn't see her, which is how we got our first foul. My first score was a penalty, after Montague somehow mistook my head for the Quaffle. Idiot. Alicia wasn't fareing very well, being the constant target of Bole.

It was, of course, Harry who won us the game, after a spectacular dive. We all sped toward the seeker, and enveloped each other in a hug that quickly became a tangle of limbs and brooms. We sank to the ground, Oliver sobbing uncontrollably in the center of the pile of Gyffindors. I worked my way to him and wrapped him in an excited hug. He cried into my robes.

"We won, Katie!" he exclaimed. He lifted his head, and I saw an ecstatic shine in his eyes that made my heart jump.


	4. 4: Reason to Worry

**4: Reason to Worry**

With the Quidditch season over, and the House Cup in its proper place adorning Professor McGonagall's office, we could finally shift our focus to our schoolwork, without the constant interruptions of practice or the anxiety over the games. I could catch up on all the classes I had fallen behind in, and Alicia and Angelina could begin to properly stress over their O.W.L.s. I was only too glad that I had another year before I would have to worry about the tests.

Most of the fifth-years had been stressing over the standardized tests for months now, but Alicia and Angelina had managed to push them out of their minds in order to concentrate on Quidditch. Truthfully, Angelina was probably the only one in their year who didn't actually need to stress over the O.W.L.s, but Alicia just hated thinking too much about them. She had a habit of panicking over tests, but at some point she had discovered that if she pretended they didn't exist, there was nothing to panic over. Quidditch had been the perfect distraction for her.

But now that there was nothing standing between her and the mounds of studying she'd have to do, the panicking began. For a while, she had it under control, but then she began to shy away from Angelina and me. She surrounded herself with other friends, acquaintances. She called them study groups, but I hardly thought they were actually studying. It was more like a large social circle. Still, Alicia seemed to be happy with it, and she insisted she was getting good study-time in.

I began to worry when I found Alicia huddled in a corner of the common room, clutching her history book to her chest. I sat down in front of her. Despite the panicked look on her face, she looked good. Her hair was neat, her robes pressed, and her skin flawless, as usual.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"Oh, I'm just waiting for someone," Alicia replied. She attempted a half-hearted smile.

"Who?" I asked suspiciously. I was probably acting the part of the over-protective friend, but to be fair, Alicia looked like she needed it.

"Does it matter?" The smile faded, and the words came out snippy.

"Look, if you need help studying, I'm sure Angelina would be happy to-"

"Angelina is too caught up in her own obsessive study schedule to care!" Alicia said.

She smiled at someone behind me, and I turned to find a group of fifth-years I didn't know too well waving at her. She got up, still clutching her book a bit too tightly, and frowned at me as she walked away to join them. I was left sitting on the floor, wondering what the hell just happened.

I decided maybe Angelina would have some insight on the situation. Once I got over the initial shock of the way Alicia had treated me, I went to find her.

Angelina was in her dorm, alone. When I opened the door, cautiously calling her name, she reacted with a violent lurch, as if she was genuinely surprised that anyone would be interrupting her study-time. She glared at me in a very un-Angelina like way, and I suddenly felt like I didn't belong there.

After a moment, however, she said, "come in."

The floor was covered with parchment. Angelina must have had her notes from the past five years at Hogwarts spread before her. She had several books open, and a stack of parchment with a quill poised above it. Her fingers were ink-stained, and I could see dark circles beneath her eyes.

"How long have you been doing this?" I asked her.

"What?"

"This." I gestured to the room around me. Angelina looked at the stacks of notes, and shrugged.

"Have you been sleeping?" I asked.

"I don't have time to sleep, the O.W.L.s are in nine days," Angelina replied. She bent over one of the books, apparently looking for something. She found it, and wrote something. Her hand was shaking.

"If you don't sleep, you really will fail your owls," I said. "Come on, Angelina, I know you're smarter than this."

She looked at me with sad eyes that made me wonder if maybe I was wrong.


	5. 5: Relationships

**5: Relationships**

As if this whole thing with Alicia and Angelina wasn't bad enough, I had Oliver to worry about; though for very different reasons. It turned out that my friends were right about him. Once the Quidditch final was over, he had begun flirting with me in earnest.

At first I told myself he was just being the sweet Oliver I always knew he could be when he wasn't acting the part of evil Quidditch captain. He would hold open doors, carry my things, and compliment my robes, even though I was wearing the same robes as everyone else. The first time, I thanked him anyway, and the second, I pointed that little fact out. He blushed.

"Well, they just look better on you," he said, and before I could stop myself, I giggled.

Then he invited me to join him during the last Hogsmeade visit of the term. I accepted.

As Alicia, Angelina and I have spent every Hogsmeade visit together since I was old enough to go, I was weary of telling them I'd be spending it with Oliver. I knew it was irrational, but I couldn't help thinking that for some reason they'd be upset with me. Not only was I was breaking tradition, but I was ditching my friends for a _boy._ We always said that we'd never let boys come between us. After all, boyfriends come and go, friendships like ours should last forever.

Neither of them seemed to even care, though.

When I told Angelina, she was barely able to tear herself away from her studies long enough to address me. She gave me a distracted look, and nodded.

"That's good, then. I'm not going anyway," she said.

"Oh. Well, do you want me to bring you anything? Sweets from Honeydukes maybe?" I asked.

She shook her head. "That won't be necessary." She spoke so coldly, and it felt as if she hardly knew me; as if she had completely forgotten that we had been friends for so long.

"Ok. Well, maybe we can go for a broom-ride afterwards. You should get away from your books for a bit, relax," I said.

"I don't need you to worry about me, and I don't have time for silly things like broom-rides," Angelina replied a bit too harshly.

I backed down then. This was definitely not the same Angelina I had befriended. My Angelina would never turn down sweets, or say broom-rides were silly. My Angelina thought that flying on a broom was the greatest thrill, the greatest _freedom_, a girl could achieve. To her, Quidditch was more than a game, and flying was a nonnegotiable part of life.

I was truly beginning to worry.

I found Alicia amidst a study group of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, but as usual, there appeared to be a lot more gossiping happening than studying. I didn't bother pointing this out, just skipped to the reason I was there.

"I can't go to Hogsmeade with you this weekend. I'm going with Oliver."

"Oh." Alicia looked at me as if I were crazy to even suggest she would be going with me. "Well, I'm going with some friends from my year, anyway."

It was like she was looking _through_ me. Like I wasn't even worth talking to. I felt so small and useless just then, but more importantly, I felt her drifting away from me.

"So I guess I'll just see you around, ok?" I said meekly.

I am not usually, by any means, a meek person. But without my two best friends, I was quickly losing confidence. If I couldn't help them, what sort of person was I?

"Yeah," Alicia said, and I turned to walk away. "Oh, and Katie?"

"Yeah?" I turned back, hopeful.

"Congratulations on getting with Oliver." She smiled, but it was half-hearted.

I mused that I'd rather have her and Angelina back than a relationship with Oliver that couldn't possibly last. I realized that I was losing them. We were truly drifting. Angelina and Alicia were both so caught up in their own little worlds that our friendship, which I had always valued above all things, was suffering. I hoped that this was all just a side-effect of the O.W.L.s, and things would return to normal after the tests. I honestly didn't have very high hopes, however.


	6. 6: Hogsmeade Date

**6: Hogsmeade Date**

Oliver took me to Madame Puddifoot's, and refused to let me pay for my tea and chocolate. Madame winked at me as he handed her the galleons. Then we sat in the far corner, where I began spooning sugar into my cup.

One spoon.

Two spoons.

Three spoons.

I lost count. It was fascinating, watching the little crystals fall and swirl around in the liquid. It almost distracted me from the misery that had become my life.

"Um… Katie?" came Oliver's voice, thick in accent and uncertainty.

I snapped out of the trance I had been in and looked up at him. "Oliver."

He smiled, and unlike Alicia's smile, it was not only warm and inviting, but it was directed _at _me instead of _through_ me. I couldn't help but smile back. My stomach fluttered a bit, and I thought I could just lose myself in those gorgeous brown eyes if I wasn't careful.

"Are you all right, Katie?" he asked. "You seem… distracted." He motioned to my tea.

"Yes… no." I pushed the now inedible drink aside. "I feel like I'm losing my two best friends."

"Did something happen between you three?" he asked, voice laced with concern.

"Yes… no," I said again. "Not really. It's just like, we're drifting. Alicia spends all her time with her 'other' friends, half of whom she's never even spoken to much before now; and Alicia spends all her time with her books. It's like I don't even exist to them anymore," I pouted. I'm sure I sounded like a whiny child, but I didn't care.

"But they're your best friends," he said. "Even if you feel ignored or something, I'm sure they don't mean it."

"That's what I thought, at first. But now it's like… well, they treat me so…" I was struggling to find the right words. I didn't want to speak ill of either if them. It wasn't as if our friendship was completely lost, yet. I still cared for Alicia and Angelina.

Oliver shifted uncomfortably in the seat across form me, waiting for me to continue. I suddenly felt bad for being so down. This was supposed to be a date, and I was too worried about my friendships to focus on him.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I'm a horrible date."

"No, you're just worried," Oliver said. He smiled reassuringly. "You're a good person."

Oliver reached across the table to take my hand, and I let him. I tried to smile for him, and after a few moments of awkward silence, I went back to poking absently at my tea.

Oliver didn't seem to know what to do. I wondered if he ever had o deal with a depressed teenage girl before. He rubbed circles into the palm of my hand with his thumb. The gesture was comforting and appreciated, but I don't think the half-smile I managed for him properly showed that. His eyes were full of concern for me.

"They're probably just stressed over the O.W.L.s," Oliver said. "We all go through it. They'll come around."

"I hope so," I said dejectedly.

The rest of our date went a bit better. Oliver bought me a chocolate rose from Honeydukes that looked and smelled like a real one. It was sweet of him, and I made sure to show it off to the other girls in Gryffindor before eating it. Leanne said it was lovely, and Parvati Patil gave me a jealous look.

As we walked back to the school, Oliver seemed to become rather nervous. I ate my rose, hoping it would make him feel better, knowing that I was enjoying my gift.

"Katie?" He asked finally.

"Erm?" I asked, sucking contentedly on the candy.

"I wanted to ask you… I mean…" He was so cute just then. Despite the circumstances, and that I had been so miserable and distracted all day, I couldn't help but smile. He smiled back. "I'd like it if you would be my girlfriend."

All things considered, this was not a shocking statement. He looked at me with a hopeful gaze, but I just didn't know how to answer right away. I stayed quiet, thinking. After a moment, he shifted his eyes to the ground and shuffled his feet in a gesture that was very unlike him. I realized that my hesitance must be hurting him.

"Oh, Oliver, I would like that, I just can't right now," I said quietly.

He cleared his throat and looked up at me, questioningly.

"I mean, with everything that's going on, I just don't think I'd make a very good girlfriend at the moment. Plus, you'll be leaving in a few weeks, and then were will that leave us? I'll hardly see you," I tried to explain.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I'd just really like to be with you."

"I'm sorry," I said. And I was, really.

We walked the rest of the way back to Gryffindor tower in silence.


	7. 7: Studdies, Snogging, and Angels

**7: Studdies, Snogging, and Angels**

After a few days, I became convinced that Oliver was upset with me, but there was nothing really I could do about it, short of agreeing to be his girlfriend. Which I wanted, but I knew I couldn't handle.

After much deliberation, I decided it would be best to simply forget about him. He would be gone in a few weeks anyway, and out of my life. But I couldn't ignore all the time we had spent together over the last four years. How incredibly helpful he'd been to me when I was just starting Quidditch. He had become more than a teammate, more than a captain. I realized that I really did like him. I could fall in love with him if I let myself.

What had I done?

Alicia and Angelina were no help, of course.

Angelina was in the library, pouring over an impressive pile of books. She looked worn and sleep-deprived. Her usually neat appearance was haphazard. Her robes were wrinkled, and I could tell she had resorted to her nervous habit of running her fingers through her hair. She always tried to keep that under control, but it seemed that now she didn't even notice she was doing it.

I sat next to her and pulled her hand from her hair, laying it on the wooden table. She jerked away from my touch and glared at me.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

Against my better judgment, I began to tell her about Oliver. To her credit, she actually seemed to listen for a few minutes before rolling her eyes and returning to her books.

"I don't have time for this," she said.

"What?" You don't have time for your best friends anymore?" I challenged.

"It's nice that all _you've _got to worry about is how much Oliver Wood is in love with you, while _some_ of us have tests that can determine the rest of our lives as witches to worry about," she said.

I tried to form a comeback, but couldn't. Her harsh tone had just shocked me so much. I knew Angelina could have a bit of an attitude sometimes, but she had never been so abrupt with me.

Besides, I thought she was exaggerating a bit, and I pointed out (though probably not very eloquently) that as the smartest witch in her class, she really had nothing to worry about. For some reason, this only made her more upset, and she kicked me out of the study-space she had claimed in the library.

I gave up on Alicia before I even spoke to her. I found her snogging a Ravenclaw who's name I didn't even know. She wouldn't be able to help me when her face was attached to some boy's.

I reflected that I shouldn't be angry that I didn't know him, but I was. It somehow felt like she was going behind my back, and getting with some random guy just to spite me, or the O.W.L.s, or life in general. It felt wrong and rushed, especially since Alicia always told Angelina and me about the boys she liked. Not that she needed our approval. But still… I guess I was just feeling neglected.

I took out my frustrations by pacing my room and cursing out Oliver Wood; which of course was a pointless activity. Unfortunately for Leanne, she was in the room as well, trying to read. She got to listen to all of my ranting about stupid boys, and their stupid ideas, and their stupid cute smiles and eyes that make me melt. It's a wonder she even stayed, without getting angry or anything. She's an angel, really.

"Do you like him?" Leanne interrupted my rant.

I stopped abruptly, in the middle of a sentence about Quidditch keepers. There was a short pause, during which I stared stupidly in her direction and she waited expectantly for my answer.

"Of course I do," I said. Which was true. Just because I thought we couldn't be together while I was still at school didn't mean I didn't like him.

"Then what's stopping you? Love doesn't come by that often, you know," Leanne said.

It was such an Alicia-like thing to say. I tried to make excuses, but it came out as incoherent babbling. The topic turned to my friends, and soon I was crying. I wiped frantically at my eyes, as if that would stop them. Leanne held out her arms, and I sat next to her for a hug.

"Be patient with Alicia and Angelina. They need support now," she advised. "And I think you and Oliver care for each other enough to make it work. I think it's pretty obvious to most of the Gryffindors, in fact. We were sort of wondering why you two didn't get together sooner.

Leanne smiled, and I nodded. She really was an angel.


	8. 8: Confrontation

**8: Confrontation**

The O.W.L.s passed, and things didn't get better. I thought that Angelina would calm down after her tests, but she didn't. I expected that when I approached her with a peace offering of a box of Honeydukes' sweets she would accept, and we would talk and laugh like before. I was horribly wrong.

"I told you not to get me anything," Angelina said.

"I wanted to. It's a gift, an apology," I explained.

Angelina shook her head, and I set the box down next to her.

The Gryffindor common room was unusually quiet. Now that most of us were finished with our tests- O.W.L.s for fifth years, N.E.W.T.s for seventh years, and general finals for the rest of us- most of the students were relaxing outside, enjoying the warmth of early summer. Angelina, however, was still pouring over various books.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I've missed something, I know it," she said. "On the History of Magic O.W.L. there was this one section I wasn't sure of-"

"Even if you did miss something, there's nothing you could do about it now," I pointed out.

This earned me a glare, but I didn't want to back down this time.

"You don't understand," Angelina said before returning to her book.

"What don't I understand?" I demanded.

"You're just a fourth year, you don't have to deal with this yet," she said.

I began to get upset, even more so than I had been already. "Just because I'm younger than you doesn't mean I don't understand. I know it's stressful, and it sucks, and I am dreading doing it; but I get it, ok?"

My breathing was ragged, and I could feel an unfamiliar sensation behind my eyes. There was this horrible lump in my throat, which I tried to swallow, but couldn't. I tried to calm myself down, but it was a futile attempt.

"Stop it, Katie. Why don't you go hang out with the girls from your own year?"

That was it. I had lost her.

Then I did something I _never_ do: I started crying.

I could feel the hot tears flowing down my cheeks, and I wiped angrily at them, but they wouldn't stop. I stomped my foot indignantly, like a child, then went to sulk in my bed.

I clutched my pillow tightly to my chest, sobbing in a very un-Katie-Bell-like way. This thought, of course, just made it worse. I was acting like a little kid. I decided there must be a better way of relieving stress, and eventually settled on Quidditch. I sometimes chased the Snitch to practice flying. That way I could be alone, and doing one of the things I loved the most.

I grabbed my broom and headed down to the pitch, resolutely not looking in Angelina's direction on my way out of Gryffindor tower.

I mounted my broom just outside of the castle, then took off, flying high enough that no one would bother trying to talk to me. There were an awful lot of happy students out. They laughed and played in the sunlight, enjoying the little time they had left together before the summer holidays. Angelina, Alicia and I should have been doing the same.

The Quidditch balls were in a storage closet next to the locker rooms, and really, I had no reason to go into the locker rooms themselves. But as I took out the Snitch, I heard a loud bang from inside one of them, and my curiosity got the better of me; especially since no one was supposed to be in them after the final match.

I pushed the door open gently and peered in. Alicia was pressed against the lockers, her legs around the waist of the Ravenclaw boy. His arms were around her, supporting her weight. They were snogging like there was no tomorrow, and they looked only moments away from doing more. I figured that in order to make a bang like that, he must have slammed her pretty hard into those lockers. She didn't seem to be protesting, however, and I left, letting the door slam behind me.

I was outside by the time I heard a tentative voice calling, "Katie?"

I knew it was Alicia, and I ignored her, the way she'd been ignoring me for the past several weeks.

"Katie, wait!" She called.

I paused. Was I over-reacting to this? Maybe she had just found a guy she really likes. Maybe this is more than a quick snog to relieve stress over the O.W.L.s. Maybe she wasn't ignoring me really, and I was just making unfair assumptions.

I turned to face her. I was tense, and clutching the Snitch too hard. It was struggling against my hand, and I realized I must have been breaking its wings. I loosened my grip and took a deep breath.

"What?" I said to Alicia, once she caught up to me.

"This isn't what you think," she said, gesturing to the Ravenclaw boy, who was now leaning against the red-checkered wall outside the locker room.

I looked at her incredulously. She shifted uncomfortably under my gaze.

"I mean, we're not serious, it's just… you know…"

"No, I don't know," I said. "What I _do_ know, however, is that you've been blowing Angelina and me off for _him_-" I gestured to the boy- "for several weeks now. We're supposed to be best friends, and it's like I don't even know you anymore."

Alicia got upset then. "I don't need to explain myself to you!"

"Then why did you follow me out here?" I demanded.

"I… I don't know. You're my friend." She gave me a weak smile.

I felt that horrible lump in my throat again, and it made it difficult to get my response out. "I don't think I am anymore."

I mounted my broom, and left her there, speechless.


	9. 9: Apologies

**9: Apologies**

Ok, so maybe I was over-reacting, but I was really frustrated. Who neglects their friends in favor of a boy? It was something Angelina, Alicia and I said we'd never do.

I flew once around the pitch, then headed toward the lake, still clutching the Snitch. If Alicia was at the pitch, I didn't want to be there.

The lake was peaceful. I supposed the Giant squid was in a good mood. There were even some second-years swimming in the shallow part. I flew high enough to not be bothered by anyone, only dropping low once to run my fingers along the surface. I ran my wet hands through my hair. It was a hot day, and the cool water felt good.

By the time I returned to the pitch, Alicia and the Ravenclaw boy were gone, and I resumed with my original intention of practicing with the Snitch. I waited a moment after releasing it, then chased it around the stadium, trying sharp turns and rolls. I went into a long dive that I nearly couldn't pull out of, and decided that I should have a high level of admiration for Harry, and good seekers in general.

After nearly a half hour, I still hadn't caught the stupid little ball. I was about to give up when I noticed two people with brooms on the field below me. I flew a bit lower, and recognized them as my two former-friends.

Not wanting to speak to either of them, I resolutely continued my pursuit of the Snitch, even ignoring them when they flew up to join me.

"Katie!" Angelina called.

I flew directly at them, still following the Snitch. When it became apparent I wasn't going to stop, the separated, Angelina pulling to the left, and Alicia to the right so I could fly between them.

"Katie!" Angelina yelled after me.

But I wasn't paying attention. I reached out my hand, shuffled forward on my broom, and closed mu fist around the little golden ball. I pulled my broom to a stop, hovering in the air, and raised my arm triumphantly. Angelina and Alicia figured it would be a good time to approach me, and I didn't fly away. I suppose I was curious as to what they had to say for themselves.

"We're here to apologize," Angelina said, obviously irritated that I wasn't responding to her.

It took all of my will-power, but I remained silent. I guess they were both waiting for me to say something, because there was a long pause before Angelina continued.

"We shouldn't treat you like that just because you're younger than us," she said.

"And, we shouldn't forget about our friends just for something silly, like a test, or a boy," Alicia added.

I took a deep breath. I felt like I should be confessing something too. "I guess… I shouldn't overreact like I did," I said. "I knew you guys were stressed out, I should have been more understanding."

Angelina started to protest, but I stopped her. "It's done, ok? Can we forget about what's gone? I'd rather look forward to the future than get stuck in the past."

Alicia smiled brightly, and Angelina nodded. "Agreed," the both said.

"Now, we've just got one more problem to deal with," Angelina gestured to the stands, where a lonely figure was sitting. On closer inspection, I realized it was Oliver.

"No," I said. "We're done."

"I don't think so," Alicia said. "I think you two were meant for each other."

"There's no such thing as destiny," Angelina said to her. The to me she said, "It's just, you two get along great, you really like each other, and there's no reason not to give it a try."

They sounded so much more like the Angelina and Alicia I'd always known. It made me happy, and gave me confidence for our friendship.

"We'll end up getting hurt," I insisted.

Alicia shook her head. "No, you love each other too much for that."

I felt my face get hot, and realized I was blushing. I did love him, I just didn't want to admit it, even to myself.

"So, are you going to approach him, or do we have to drag you down there?" Angelina asked with a sly grin.

"You're going to have to drag me," I answered indignantly.

"Fine." They each grabbed an arm and tugged me forward.

"No!" I said as I nearly lost my balance. I pulled from their grip and clutched my broom. I should have known they'd actually do it.

I flew down to the stands and landed beside Oliver.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi Katie," he said. He gave me a smile, the kind that can make me melt.

"I… err…" I didn't know what to say. So I hugged him.

I moved so suddenly that Oliver wasn't expecting it, and jerked away. When he realized what was happening, he hugged me back, and kissed the top of my head. I heard cheering behind me, and blushed again at my friends' antics.

Yes, my friends. I had two of them, and I had Oliver. This made me was anxious for the days to come. I knew they would be good ones.


End file.
